Heart of the North
by NakanoHana
Summary: AU, as usual :). Axel is a young werewolf who can't help but push his entire pack away. Who would have thought that a human - his kind's natural, hated enemy - would capture his heart and mind and bring him closer to his family? And who thinks this will spell trouble in the future? Akuroku and other pairings inside
1. Chapter 1

Racing across the snowy landscape, Axel felt like he was flying.

He was young, but very strong, and his legs carried him in long, leaping strides. He sailed over a fallen long with the ease of long practice, trailing behind the deer he intended to make his meal tonight.

Axel's kind was called many names – Loup Garou, Lycanthrope, Werewolf - but it all boiled down to the same basic thing. Whether their ancestors had been men gone feral, or wolves that grew to speak in human tongues, all he really knew was that the wolves of his pack had a god, Conri, who they believed granted their wish to become more than what they had been before.

Axel was a more forward-facing wolf. He didn't like to look deeply into the past, because really, what could you change? The past was carved in stone, but the future was an open field, full of endless possibilities. For now, his path kept him with the pack, but who knew? Someday, he might find the courage to leave them, and perhaps see more of the world than just this forest.

The pack moved from time to time, if its safety was threatened, but largely, they remained in the same place, and the young wolf knew he couldn't be content with that forever. He was barely content with it now, but the winter had come, and only a wolf with a death wish in his head would strike it out on his own in unknown territory right as harsh weather was creeping in.

The doe banked a hard left ahead of him, bolting faster in her panic. Taking the turn as gracefully as he could, the wolf let out a rare, soft yip of joy, kicking up his heels slightly.

He always did love the hunt. As a pup, he had only liked racing half as much as this. _This_ was his heritage, and it thrilled him deep down to his core.

Soon enough, Axel's jaws closed around the deer's neck and snapped. The creature twitched, but its eyes dulled, and soon enough, all other struggles ceased.

Licking the blood from his lips, the wolf savored the taste of his kill. If he ate it now, he wouldn't have to share it with-

Suddenly, there came a howl from the distance, and Axel rolled his eyes, pinning his ears back.

"I guess not." Auburn fur shifted and sank away into pale white flesh, and a man with green eyes and fire red hair stood where the wolf had once been. To any onlooker, he was as naked as a newborn, and surely freezing every extremity off right that minute, but his inner wolf kept him warm at all times, so he barely felt the chilling snow beneath his feet, or the little flecks drifting down from the sky, slowly growing thicker.

Rather than dragging the deer home, he hefted it up and slung it over his shoulder. "Stupid Kairi. How does she always _know?"_

" _Because you're a selfish bastard_ ," answered the memory of his sister, as she grinned impishly up at him. _"You don't have to feed the pack, but the least you can do is feed me!"_

He scoffed, but an unwilling smile tugged at his lips as he made his way home.

To the west, near the center of the forest, there was a large rock formation. It wasn't quite hollow, but it opened up from a small, inconspicuous cave mouth into a vast network of underground caverns and tunnels. The pack kept the main room constantly lit with torches, unless there was a threat nearby, and so most of the wolves would gather there until it was time to sleep.

Axel nodded curtly at the two wolves standing guard by the entrance, and they gave him what he had come to think of as their customary growl. It wasn't menacing, not by any stretch, but he was the only one they offered it too. He didn't care much what they thought of him, but he was in no mood to antagonize them today.

Slamming his kill down on the floor, Axel brushed off his hands. They were caked with dried blood, as was much of the rest of him, and set about licking what he could reach until another wolf came over, looking expectant.

Morphing in an instant, Axel stood over his meal and snarled. The other wolf, a sandy-colored young male, yelped and backed away, his tail firmly between his legs.

"Cut it out already!"

Axel growled as another wolf knocked her head against his jaw, but he stopped snarling. His little sister, a much smaller, more slender auburn wolf, stood there shaking her head.

"Honestly, Axel. Do you ever wonder _why_ no one likes you?"

He snorted. "Demyx is a mooch and you know it. When he starts hunting and sharing his own kills, he can come talk to me."

"Not like you'd share anyway…just be a little nicer?" she pleaded. "He gets enough shit from his family. He's just a little squeamish."

"He's a wolf," the older redhead replied dryly. "If he wants to be more man than wolf, he can go live with the humans."

Somewhere, further across the room, Demyx whimpered. His friend, a smaller, darker colored wolf, glared harshly in Axel's direction, but the red wolf was unaffected.

Humans were enemies to his kind, hunting them and their food while carelessly tearing apart the forests, but some wolves could go among them in their human skins and be perfectly safe and happy. Most were considered traitors then, however, and never returned to their pack's land on pain of death.

None of _his_ pack had ever done such as thing, as far back as Axel could recall. While they owed the man side of their heritage for their intelligence, speech, and knowledge of tools, the elders in the pack looked at the purebred human as a weak, pathetic, despicable race of tricksters, and most of their juniors followed suit.

Kairi sighed. "Fine, whatever. Be an asshole. Now, where is my food?"

With another snort, Axel reached down and tore a small scrap of flesh from the deer's hide, throwing it to the ground beside her. "There. Happy?"

"No! That's barely a mouthful and you know it!" She jumped up slightly, splaying out across his back and biting his ear. Axel rolled his eyes again.

"You know I can overpower you any time I want, right?"

"Yeah, right." She bit down harder, her voice slightly muffled. "But you won't, so I'll let go if you give me a fourth."

He could have argued, but he remembered his mother's last few words to him, and any fight that might have been there flowed out of him in an instant.

" _Take care of each other."_

"Fine."

With what almost sounded like a squeal, Kairi let go of him. Unwilling to let her go so easily, he reached out and bit at her ear briefly, much harder than she had nibbled him.

"Hey!"

"Shut up and eat already," he said patronizingly, stepping to the side so that she could join him by the food.

As they ate side by side, in silence, Axel listened to the howling wind just outside the cave entrance. Old Man Vexen has predicted a storm brewing on the horizon, one so large that it might nearly block off the cave entrance for a day or so. As such, everyone had been gathering food and filling up as much as possible, in case they wouldn't be able to hunt for a few days. Even when the path was clear, animals would often hide and bury themselves in their homes, making food scarce anyway.

Even the guard wolves were coming in, unwilling to be constantly smacked in the face by the wind and snow. The blizzard was so fierce now that no great force, be it man or animal, could come in and harm them. Their scents and tracks would be wiped away, and any hunter dumb enough to be outside on a night like this would freeze solid before he ever found the cave.

The chatter around the room was picking up some, and Axel caught snippets of conversations about staying in the main cave tonight. Not every wolf or small family in the pack could have their own cavern deeper underground, and the leader, who Axel grudgingly admitted _was_ fairly wise and thoughtful, didn't want to take the extra warmth and security that others might need for himself and his immediate family. Tonight, nursing mothers and young pups would take to the tunnels, and everyone else would huddle together in the main room.

Axel didn't think it was possible for _any_ of them to freeze inside the relatively closed-off caverns, no matter how cold it got, but he wasn't really going to question it. Pack stuff was rarely his business, even if his sister and the others disagreed. He had half a mind to just do his own thing until they finally decided to kick him out, and so far, it was working pretty well. Terra still liked him, even if his council did not.

"Will you be okay without me tonight?"

Blinking, Axel glanced down at his little sister.

"You're going to go cuddle up with Sora, aren't you?" Despite a slight pang of hurt, he _did_ tease the younger wolf often for her obvious infatuation with the alpha's youngest son. Even now, she was just so predictable that despite himself, he smirked at her.

If she was human, the girl might have blushed. "Sora AND Riku!" she insisted. "Riku was stuck with the wall tonight, so we thought we'd go help him keep warm!"

'Suuuure." Axel refrained from reminding her that he was stuck sleeping against the wall as well. A worse wall than Riku's, by a long shot.

With a scoff, the younger wolf turned around and whacked him in the face with her tail.

"Ass!" She yelped and swung it away, as her older brother took a playful snap at it. "I hate you!"

"You do not," he said confidently, shrugging and turning away. "Fine. Go snuggle up with your little boyfriend."

"He's not my- ugh! Forget it!" She huffed and stalked away, as Axel rolled his eyes and struggled not to smile wider. A few other wolves were looking his way, but he ignored them, picking his was over to his designated sleeping spot for the evening.

No one wanted this area because the wall was freezing cold, seemingly touched by the chilling storm outside. It was nowhere near as bad as being out in the storm itself, but it was still unpleasant, and while the sleeping spots alternated nightly, as a basically non-contributing member of the pack, Axel was pretty much in the same, horrible spot every night.

He never complained though, even when he knew he was being purposely shafted. No one else wanted to huddle beside him, other than his sister, and he kind of preferred it that way. He was a lone wolf in almost every sense but the literal, which was all he had the courage to be right now. Sometimes, he really hated himself for that; paining perfectly nice wolves, including Kairi, just because he was selfish.

But Axel could only find the will to care so much. He just wasn't like them. He didn't need a lot of friends; he didn't ultimately _want_ to feel safe and protected, stagnant. The one good thing he would say about humans was that they were constantly changing, and they did all kinds of things that weren't bound by instincts and tradition. Humans ruled the world, even though his kind was stronger, faster, and could readily disguise and infiltrate their ranks.

But Conri, strange and fathomless as he was, had decreed that the wolves should try to live as their noble namesake did, mingling with humans as little as possible. Or at least, so said Xemnas, the pack's resident priest, _expert in ALL matters_ Conri.

Axel snorted, shaking his head slightly. He didn't know if their religion had turned the other wolf into such an arrogant, droning prick, or if it was just his innate personality, but he got along with Xemnas the least. Sometimes, the bastard tried to act in Terra's stead, thinking that _he_ knew better than the alpha.

Sighing, the red wolf settled himself down and watched the other occupants of the cave. It was not quite curfew yet, so many pups were running around, chasing each other and playing hunt. Their parents encouraged it, and their neighbors faced it with varying degrees of tolerance, because they knew it would wear the children out and put them to sleep quickly after they lay down. The young adult wolves were talking amiably amongst themselves, and the elders were getting comfortable, watching the proceedings much like Axel was.

Suddenly, a new figure staggered through the cave mouth, thin and white and shivering. Though his scent was muffled by the snow and ice, Axel caught just enough to make his eyes narrow.

'A _human!_ '


	2. Chapter 2

Just as the human pulled down the hood of his coat, the call went up in a series of piercing howls.

"INTRUDER!"

"TRESPASSER!"

"HUMAN!"

The man – or boy, rather, judging from his rounded, youthful face - jolted at the sudden noise, his blue eyes going comically wide as he took in the entirety of the cave. How he had missed the large gathering of wolves right in front of him, Axel couldn't even begin to guess, but the red wolf felt his instinctive anger cooling slightly with curiosity, and what almost felt like pity.

The little human was covered with snow, his clothes soaking wet and clinging to him. Though it was hard to tell, Axel supposed that his hair was blonde beneath all that powder. It was messy and spiky, and despite its dampness, it seemed to crown his head, like large, permanently raised hackles.

"N-No!" The boy backed up as the two guard wolves advanced on him, snarling. The rest of the pack was in a frenzy; adults jumping to their feet, securing their children safely behind them, by force if necessary. Human forms were shed in favor of large, long lupine bodies, equipped with sharp claws and teeth, presenting an imposing picture to the foolish human who _dared_ to try and harm them and their families.

Axel had yet to rise to his feet, sensing a genuine fear and helplessness radiating from the boy, but he looked up and saw the alpha standing, his priest and councilors quickly coming to his side.

"Bring him to me!" Terra ordered, and when Axel looked back, he saw the boy's eyes widening further.

"You can _talk_?" he asked disbelievingly, raising his hands in some pathetic attempt at defense. "P-Please, werewolves or whatever you are, please don't hurt me! I meant no harm!"

"Liar!" the nearest guard, Luxord growled, circling behind to cut off his escape and snapping at the boy's legs.

"I-I'm not lying!" he cried, stumbling forward and falling to his knees hard, wincing. He then found himself face to face with Xigbar, a grey wolf with a scarred muzzle and one missing eye. The guard gave him a wolfish smirk, barring his teeth. "No! Don't!"

"On your feet, little prey," he mocked, biting the boy's left arm and yanking him off of the floor. The blonde cried out raggedly, and Axel suddenly smelled blood in the air. He had rarely smelled human blood before, and he didn't remember it ever being quite this _good_.

"Xigbar, that's enough!" Terra said warningly. "I told you to 'bring him,' not 'maim him.'"

With a careless shrug, the grey wolf let go and stepped back, licking his lips. The boy fell back to his knees and clutched his arm close, covering the bloody holes that had torn right through his jacket. He was shaking terribly, and looked to be fighting the urge to cry out loud.

"Axel!" The redhead snapped his head up at the call, only to find the entire congregation looking at him. The alpha gestured with his head. "See if he has any weapons."

"I don't! I promise!"

"Silence!" Luxord barked, making the young human flinch and curl inward.

"Huh?" Axel blinked, and then frowned. "Why me?"

Terra started to speak again, but was cut off by the thin, light grey wolf on his right. Xemnas.

"Do not question the Alpha, you impudent brat! He has given you a command!"

"I'm not refusing," Axel shouted back. "I'm just wondering why. Get those knots out of your fur, old man."

The room filled up with muttering, echoing all around him. That was _another_ thing that separated Axel from the other wolves in the pack; he regularly liked to question authority. It had never been maliciously done, even as an adult. The redhead simply didn't enjoy blindly following orders, no matter who they came from, and though they came fewer and farther in between now, he still resisted from time to time. Blame it on his stubborn human heritage maybe, but whatever the cause, it was who he was.

Usually, _surprisingly_ , Terra seemed to almost appreciate that. Axel was never quite sure why, but he didn't question it much. It annoyed Xemnas and the others, and that was all that really mattered…

The large brown wolf waved his priest back, causing the other to scoff and bluster at him briefly.

"Do not argue with me today, Axel. Just make yourself useful for once and search him." His tone could have been harsh or commanding, but instead, it was a tolerant sigh. Yet another reminder that Terra was good and kind, a true leader, and he himself was…every bit the selfish, lazy mooch that he claimed Demyx to be. Even with many to protect from threats just like this one, there was already a look of compassion in Terra's eyes as he regarded the human whimpering softly on the cavern floor. Axel could see it, and despite his own misgivings, he was sure he knew the alpha's thoughts plainly enough.

There was probably no sense in biting first, and asking questions later. This human wasn't even a man grown.

"Search him, disarm him if necessary, and bring him before the council."

The red wolf nodded stiffly, shifting into his human form.

"Fine."

Terra nodded, and then turned to Xigbar and Luxord. "You two, secure the entryway. See that no one else comes in, or gets out."

The rest of the pack was watching warily as Axel walked over to the boy and sat down in front of him. In a flash, teary blue eyes popped open, and the human leaned backwards, as far away as he could manage before Luxord made his presence known again.

For a moment, they just looked at each other, and Axel felt as if his very soul were being searched. Those eyes were the bluest he had ever seen, and they looked like the sea itself; deep enough to drown in. The boy's face was pale with fright and cold, but somehow, he never flinched from that thoughtful staring, his gaze boring into the redhead's.

Then, the blonde looked down, and whatever spell he had been working was broken.

"You're naked!" he yelped, lifting his good arm quickly and slapping the hand over his eyes. Under that, his cheeks colored slightly, flushing a faint, pastel red.

Axel snorted. "And? My wolf form keeps me warm at all times. Why would I need those silly clothes you humans wear?"

"I-It's more for modesty," he mumbled, still hiding his face in his hand. "Can't you, uh…c-cover up or something?"

The wolf looked at him sideways, unsure if he should laugh or shake him for this nonsense. Did he suddenly forget the danger he was in?

"No. Now, get on your feet and spread your arms."

With a shaky nod, the human did as he was told, averting his eyes as the taller man drew closer. Axel reached into his pockets and slid his hands under the wet, puffy coat, ignoring the blonde as he squirmed slightly, and winced when his arm was moved. His skin was stone cold to the touch, leaving the redhead to wonder how he hadn't fallen over dead long ago.

"Why did you come here?" Axel asked, unaware that a tiny drop of curiosity had bled into his tone. It made him sound less cold and detached than he was aiming for.

"I-I was lost in the storm. I just needed a place to wait it out, I swear."

The redhead hummed noncommittally, still searching him. "Didn't you see the torchlight?"

The boy shook his head, eyes stubbornly averted. "No, I couldn't see anything. If I had, I would have still come in though…Sorry."

Axel nodded, then shrugged slightly. For all he knew, it could have just been some hikers or foresters who would have shared their shelter with him…Perhaps that was something to address the next time Terra wanted to discuss security issues.

He began to wonder how long and far the boy had traveled. His boots looked worn, like they would fall apart at any moment, and the rest of his attire was...patchy, as if parts of it had been stitched back together numerous times and then finally been given up on. Axel's pack did not typically wear clothes – they spent most of their time in wolf form, and clothes never survived the transition – but he knew little enough about them to be fairly sure of that.

"Y-You're not going to make me strip, are you?"

Axel snorted again. "Don't flatter yourself. If it were a necessity, I would, but I'm confident enough with this." The worst that his kind feared were guns, but even the smallest ones could only be so well concealed.

"O-Okay…Please don't let them kill me."

The wolf-man blinked again, looking up to find the boy beginning to cry again, teary eyes fixed on his face.

"I didn't come here to hurt anyone. I didn't even know you were _real_ until just now!" Trembling again, the little human pulled his bitten arm close and clutched it tightly. "I don't want to die…so p-please. Can you help me? I'll do anything you ask."

Axel just looked at him, taken aback. He felt…confused. Not the way he _should_ be feeling.

The boy's plea sounded so sincere, so _trusting;_ directed at someone who he had not only just met, but his kind's natural enemy for centuries!

He was terrified, but was still trying to put his life in Axel's paws, begging for mercy.

 _Mercy_ from a _wolf_! The very idea was so laughable that it was nearly painful! Did he forget what Axel was, simply because he had changed forms?

Maybe, but maybe not. Still…'How odd,' he thought. Some humans faced death with bravery, like a wolf, and yet this young one was not so contemptible as the many other humans who begged and pleaded and tricked to survive. Axel could not understand why, and that lack of understanding frustrated him, but he felt compelled to answer the timid hope shimmering faintly in those deep blue eyes.

He could see no lie there, and he trusted eyes above nearly all else.

Despite his turbulent emotions, he found himself quietly promising the boy that he would try.


	3. Chapter 3

"So tell me, child," Terra began, trying to cross his arms in a non-threatening manner. He was the only wolf on the council that had shifted form, and he stood now as a tall, spiky brown-haired man, lean but well-muscled. The other wolves around him stood still, teeth bared and hackles raised, several of them growling faintly. "Why did you come here?"

Axel glanced down to the blond at his side, frowning despite himself when he saw the human still trembling. He heard him swallow heavily, felt him step closer, as if the proximity to Axel alone would protect him.

'He is right to be afraid,' the wolf thought, but at the same time, he couldn't help but snort. It just wasn't an emotion that the redhead was very well acquainted with, and it was slowing things down unnecessarily. Axel couldn't be sure what the council would decide, but even if it was the harshest sentence imaginable, delaying it would be useless in the end.

Axel took his elbow and gently but firmly nudged the boy forward. The sooner that the blonde spoke, the sooner _he_ could judge the proceedings and conceive of some way to spare the human, if needed.

"It's alright," Terra said, his blue eyes softening. "No one else will hurt you. I give you my word as the leader of this pack."

Axel saw Xigbar roll his only remaining eye just before Flint, a near-black wolf, stepped forward and barked slightly.

"Speak for yourself, Alpha. Do not go about making promises we can't keep."

"What Flint means to say," Xemnas said, stepping forward and pushing the darker wolf away, "in his _usual elegant fashion_ , is that you should not be fooled by appearances. Weapon or no weapon, this boy is a threat."

"If that's so," Axel snapped, drawing everyone's attention to him, "why did you not just kill him then?"

The blonde flinched slightly, looking up at him with distinct betrayal and hurt, but he continued, annoyed more by Xemnas's selective reverence than Flint's outburst. Even brutal honesty was better than slimy deceit.

"Any one of you could have ripped out his throat the second he stepped foot in our home. If he _truly was_ a threat, why wait? Why bother with this farce of a trial at all? Is it because you know _now_ that he's truly unarmed?"

Xemnas looked livid, and the other council wolves were snarling, readying themselves to lunge forward, when Terra silenced them all with a snap of his human jaw, meeting each set of eyes and somehow outmatching their intensity.

"If I see _anyone_ make a threatening move towards this boy, they will be banished from the pack. Is that clear?"

Axel grinned smugly as they each nodded in turn, looking bitterly cowed. Terra already seemed to be judging the little human innocent, but even if he could sway his trusted advisors to his side, what would that mean?

Would the council _stand_ for whatever Terra wanted?

"Now then," Terra said meaningfully, looking back at their guest with a small, but patient smile, "let us start with something simpler. What is your name, child?"

The blonde, who had been inching back towards Axel even before the argument had been settled, stopped and wrapped his arms more tightly around himself.

"Roxas, sir."

The brunet's smile widened. "That's a fine name. The moon shrines bright upon our meeting, Roxas."

Axel snorted a laugh at the confused look the boy shot back at him. The pleasantry was _very_ out of place, given all that had just happened, and it seemed that Roxas didn't even recognize it for what it was.

If Terra was put off, however, he made no indication of it. "Where do you come from, Roxas?"

The blonde's shoulders relaxed slightly then, even as he stood up straighter. "Hollow Bastion, sir."

The Alpha's brow wrinkled slightly. "I'm not familiar with it. I suppose it's a human settlement very far from here?"

Roxas nodded. "Yes, sir."

"What does this 'sir' mean? You are referring to me, I assume?"

"I-It's just what we…humans, I mean, call men that we don't know. It's meant to be respectful."

Frey, another council wolf, snorted slightly, but Terra ignored him.

"Well, I would prefer that you call me Terra from now on. It is the good, strong name that my father gave to me many moons ago."

"I-I'm sorry," Roxas said hastily, sinking down to his knees. "I didn't know, so I thought-"

Terra held up a hand to silence him. "It's alright. I took no offense."

Shaking his head, Axel walked over to the boy and took his good arm, lifting him to his feet again. Roxas gave him a startled look, but he ignored it, letting go once the blonde found his footing. While he could see the merit in putting the human more at ease, Axel knew that this was testing the patience of the council, as well as his own. It was growing very late now, and every member of the pack, even the smallest pups, was still awake, waiting eagerly to hear the verdict.

"So, how is it that you came here?" Terra continued, still trying to sound friendly. It was a little forced, but the blonde seemed to appreciate it nonetheless.

"I got lost. I didn't realize that there was a storm coming."

"Did you not see the signs?" Flint demanded, his voice harsh and incredulous. The boy jumped, and then looked at him, eyes wide and fearful. "The wind and the clouds were massing from the north!"

"I-I…" Axel saw the boy trembling even harder than before. For some reason, this inspired a slight anger in him, rather than annoyance, and without really thinking about it, he stepped in front of Roxas, guarding but not quite shielding him from view. The light in Xemnas's eyes flashed briefly, and the redhead was almost compelled to take one step further. But he simply grinned, only faltering slightly when he sensed the human pressing closer behind him.

"Humans do not have our senses, Flint," Terra replied sternly.

"Yet they _do_ have their ways," muttered Sven, a chestnut-colored wolf with numerous scars across his legs and chest. "They prepare for storms, just as we do. How could he not have known?"

"An excellent question," Xemnas agreed. "Are you _stupid,_ boy?"

Terra looked almost offended at that question, but Roxas replied before he could interject on his behalf.

"I-I haven't seen a town in over a week! It's true that…that some humans _can_ predict the weather, but _I_ don't have that skill. Plenty don't, so they just listen to the people who _do_ have it. When it started to snow, I'd been in the forest for a few days. I thought it was just a passing flurry or something."

"So you were caught in the storm and thought to seek shelter here?" Terra pressed firmly, before the priest or council members could jump in again. No one dared interrupt the Alpha while he was still speaking.

The blonde looked back at him, and Axel could sense that he was grateful for the help.

"Yes. I told this one here," he said, indicating Axel, "that I could barely see, so I didn't even know there were torches or any people in here. I nearly walked into the rock, and then I thought there might be a cave somewhere, so I just followed it along until I got here."

"It _is_ true that humans have weaker eyes than our kind," said Klaue, another grey wolf who looked like a slightly younger, stronger, and friendlier Xemnas.

"But he may not be alone," Sven said, looking around at each of the other wolves in turn. "What if this is a trap? What if there are hunters outside, waiting to ambush us even as we speak?"

Axel privately thought that _any_ animal out in that storm would have an interesting time finding _anything,_ assuming they were strong enough to face blistering winds and freezing ice. If there _were_ humans right outside the cave, they would be disoriented, cold, and tired, easily overpowered even by a wolf like _Demyx._

Roxas shook his head frantically. "No! I would never-!"

"Spare us the lies, boy," Flint snapped. " _Your_ kind hunts, just as ours does. Do not try to pretend that you would never even _think_ of hurting us."

A few other voices rose in agreement.

"Settle down," Terra snarled at them.

"I _would_ fight to protect myself!" the blonde conceded, still desperate to be believed. "I-If I have to, I will. But that's all! I don't want to kill! I just don't want to die!"

"But we who eat meat _must_ kill for food," Sven replied calmly. "And we have seen your kind kill for other reasons as well. You wrap yourselves in their furs even in the summer, and sometimes strike them down just for the pleasure of it. Even if you don't stain your own paws, you profit from others who do it _for_ you."

Out of the corner of his eye, Axel could see that the little human was at a loss. He didn't know how to convince them that he was harmless, and as they argued his every word, he looked a bit ashamed. It was as if Roxas were on trial for _all_ of the sins of his kind, rather than just his own, and being so young, he could not even begin to explain them. He might not know the whole truth himself.

"I'll do anything you want," he said softly. Suddenly clutching slightly at Axel's arm, he looked down at the ground. "Whatever I have to do to prove it to you. I don't know enough to deny what you think about _all_ humans, but I know who _I_ am.

If you let me live," he continued, his voice almost beseeching now as he looked up at them, "I owe you a debt, and I'll do everything I can to repay it."

Axel was floored, staring back at the youth with wide eyes. The change was more abrupt than it seemed, at first glance _;_ now, instead of blind fear and desperate, selfish pleading for mercy, the boy was attempting to barter with them. Despite the undoubtedly unfair standards thrust upon Roxas, Axel could sense a genuine desire to be _worthy_ of their trust and forgiveness.

'How strange...'

The council wolves looked among themselves dubiously, but Terra smiled slightly.

"Is anyone out in the storm looking for you?" When Roxas shook his head, the brunette's expression became very concerned. "You were traveling alone?"

That stuck Axel as very odd as well. He did not know humans to travel alone very often, and certainly not at young ages. He could not accurately guess how old the boy was, however; he was very short for a man grown, but nowhere near small enough to be an ankle biter.

Roxas nodded again. "I know it was a stupid idea, even if there hadn't been any storms."

"So why did you do it then?"

The blonde looked slightly sheepish, that faint blush creeping back across his cheeks.

"I was running away. I didn't think much about what I was _going_ to do…just that I had to do it."

Klaue gave a good-natured snort. "A foolish little stray is only so dangerous to us, I think."

"I disagree," Xemnas said firmly. "A human is a human. Conri demands that we separate ourselves from humans, and if we cannot force them away, we must eradicate them."

"But didn't He give us human forms?" Axel chimed in, with a deliberate, uncaring air to his voice. "Why would He do that if we were never meant to mingle?"

"The agency and power of man protects our survival," the priest snapped back. "The guise of man will serve us best when the humans eventually destroy the forest. We shall only mingle _then,_ and _never_ as true brothers."

"Why not just skip a step or two and just kill them all then? Preferably _before_ they destroy the forest?" Despite himself, Axel honestly wanting an answer to that question.

Why stand by and passively allow humans to ruin the world, if they knew that it definitely _would_ happen?

"We are not here to debate Conri's will, Omega," Sven said firmly.

"I'm not questioning Conri's will," the redhead replied, bristling slightly at the reminder. He didn't know why it bothered him this time. "Just _his_ interpretation of it."

The council as a whole looked scandalized, and the old silver wolf gawked openly at him. At any other time, Axel would have burst into laughter at the sight.

"You _dare_ to insult my-!"

"ENOUGH!" Terra snapped his jaw again, a distinctly bizarre gesture on a _human_ face, and everyone fell silent, instantly turning their attention to him.

"Humans are to be avoided; that is true enough. This one knows our location, so I am sure that you will not want me to release him, for fear that he will lead his people back to us." Many of the council members nodded. "To leave now would surely kill him before he reached them, and it is _my_ will that he not be further harmed by us, directly or indirectly."

"Then what can we do?" Xemnas asked. "Surely you don't suggest that we _keep_ him?"

At once, several voices began protesting, but the Alpha held up a hand.

"It is the only solution I see. At the shortest, he shall remain with us until we are ready to move again."

"If he stays with us, he will know our ways! When he leaves, he will know how to find us again!" Flint barked, stirring up the crowd again.

"Would you rather that he stayed with us forever?"

"We do not want him here at all!" another brown wolf cried.

"What of our pups? Our nursing mothers?" Sven added. "He must stay away from them."

"He must be monitored day and night," said Xigbar, grinning viciously. " _I_ will gladly volunteer for that."

Roxas shrank back slightly, the fear in his blood rising instantly. He grasped his injured arm instinctively, and Axel felt another spark of anger. He had no doubt that the old bastard would try to isolate the human, and then take a few good bites out of him. He might even kill him, and claim there had been a fatal accident.

'Now that I think of it…' The redhead reflected that plenty of other council members might try to arrange an "accident" of some sort. It didn't take much boldness, really.

"Someone _else_ will do it," Terra told the one-eyed wolf. "The boy shall do as we command, and work for his keep. I do not imagine one extra mouth will cause us strife, even in the winter moons."

Several voices still disagreed, and normally Terra would have changed his mind, or at least heard them out in greater detail. He truly valued his council, and everyone in the pack regarded them as Betas, just slightly below Terra's authority. And they rarely opposed him so strongly, _daringly_ , as they seemed to be doing now.

But the Alpha was not going to budge. Perhaps he sensed something unique in the human, like Axel himself did, or perhaps it was just his mate Aqua's sentimentality rubbing off on him.

"I will hear no more of this tonight," he said firmly, looking then to Roxas, who flinched slightly. For once, Terra's eyes remained hard and serious. "You are not to speak to anyone unless spoken to. You will be last to eat and drink, and Axel will accompany you everywhere that you go."

That made the redhead blink. "Me?"

Terra nodded at him. "As you have deeply insulted Xemnas, you alone will be responsible for this human."

"But I-!"

"You will not dissuade me, Axel." Behind him, several of the council members looked a bit placated. The priest still looked ill-at-ease, but even _he_ must have enjoyed seeing the redhead reprimanded. "Night and day, you will stay by his side. Should he be called upon for any task, you will go with him and monitor his actions. If you wish to leave the den, he must go with you, and any punishment he incurs will be yours as well, though it may be lesser."

Growling to himself, the redhead glared over his shoulder at Roxas, who stumbled back a step and looked a little frightened.

"This is your own doing, Axel," the Alpha said, as he began reverting back into wolf form. "We will speak again in the morning, and any time that the human transgresses. For now, the matter is closed. We must gather our strength for the morning."

Several wolves sprinted off to relay the news to the pack, and the others, including Terra, walked more slowly, whispering among themselves. Xemnas in particular was whispering hurriedly, his eyes flashing again as they fell upon Axel and Roxas.

When they were gone, the redhead turned to fully face his charge. Despite his irritation, he looked the blonde up and down, finally resting his eyes on the blood-stained punctures on the left sleeve of his coat.

"We're cleaning that up, and then going to bed. Got it?"

Those fathomless blue eyes met his again, and with renewed timidness, he said, "T-Thank you. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."


	4. Chapter 4

"And why should I help you?"

Axel glared at the wolf across from him impatiently, idly scratching at his hips when he became a little _too_ aware of several dozen eyes watching him with a hunter's focus.

"You are a healer. I _presumed_ that you know how to _heal_ things."

Zexion rolled his eyes. Often very reserved and cool, he was one of the few wolves Axel knew that would let that gesture speak for itself. It was refreshing, and certainly much less annoying.

"Hmph. While I am _flattered_ by your faith in my skills, as I'm sure you have discerned, human anatomy is different than our own. It might be so even when we are in man form." He snorted. "It is not so simple, though I am sure _you_ think so, _Omega._ Simple _is_ as simple does _._ "

Even in his human form, the redhead bared his teeth and growled.

Zexion just looked at him, thoroughly unimpressed.

"So quick to wound with your words, Axel. You act like a sturdy stone wall, but how funny that you crumble to pieces at the slightest mention of who you really are."

Demyx trotted forward slightly, still looking a bit timid whenever he met Axel's gaze. He nuzzled the smaller, dark grey wolf beseechingly.

"You should help him, Zexy..." Demyx met the redhead's eyes again, and began muttering softly. Axel only caught the last bit, "...the poor little guy is cold and hurting. He can't be all _that_ bad anyway, right?"

Inwardly, the redhead grinned a bit. 'I should have trusted tender-hearted little Demyx to get this job done from the beginning.' For reasons he did not know, and typically did not care to ponder, Zexion was very fond of the other wolf.

"Perhaps not...but I'm curious," he said, turning his attention back to the redhead. His tone was no longer so frigid and hollow. "Why does the Alpha want to keep him alive?"

"Alpha pities him?" Demyx offered helpfully.

"That's what I assume," Axel replied, shrugging slightly. "The boy is pretty clearly stupid and harmless."

Zexion nodded. "It still seems a trivial thing to antagonize the council over. Strangely soft-hearted, even for Terra."

Axel snorted. "Says the wolf with the most...sentimental mate in the whole pack." Stronger words were at the tip of his tongue, but he caught Zexion's eyes narrowing just in time and concluded that now was not the time for a petty fight...well, _another, bigger_ petty fight.

Demyx looked a bit upset, but unwilling to speak up further.

"As I was saying," the redhead pressed forward, somewhat hurriedly, "The boy claims that he was wandering alone in the woods when the storm broke. He was carrying no weapons, food, or any of the usual things that human campers and hunters carry, so he's either a liar with a death wish, or, more likely, a complete idiot."

"Very well then. Where did you leave your little pet human?"

Axel growled slightly to himself, too low for either of his companions to hear.

"Kairi's watching him..."

...

Axel led the two wolves to a cavern deeper in the rock. Terra had granted them use of it, if only for tonight, to keep from greatly upsetting and unsettling the rest of the pack with Roxas's presence. Many had not taken the Alpha's news very well, but they were also not in a position to argue it. The council was tentatively supporting Terra, and they all assured the people that the human would be monitored at all times, and punished should he needlessly pester or harm anyone.

As they drew closer, they heard voices from within.

"So in our years, you'd be about my age!" said the young, friendly, downright over-eager voice that Axel instantly recognized as Sora's.

"I suppose so," the blonde replied, his own voice sounding a little more awkward and soft.

"So what's it like being a human? You never answered me!"

Kairi gave an amused snort, just as Roxas began to stutter slightly. "And how would he compare that exactly, Sora? Do you know how _you'd_ respond if a squirrel asked you, 'What's it like being a wolf?'"

"Why would a squirrel ask that?" he replied, a touch indignantly. "Squirrels are stupid! They can't speak more than one word at a time!"

"Her point is that you should think about the question before you spit it out like that," came a fourth voice that Axel knew slightly less well, but figured by process of elimination that it had to be Riku's. "It's awkward and hard to qualify."

"Who's side are you on?"

"There are no sides," Kairi replied with strained patience.

Axel cleared his throat, and Sora, Roxas, and Kairi all jumped slightly, looking quickly in his direction. Riku just gave a nod in greeting.

To his surprise, the redhead saw his sister and her friends in human form, and they had found scraps of fur to cover themselves with. He wondered where those had come from, but not so much why they had gotten them. Roxas looked much more at ease talking with them than he had with Axel or Terra and his council, and almost as soon as he had spotted Axel, the boy blushed faintly and looked at the floor at his feet.

"This is Zexion," the redhead firmly, more to the blonde than anyone else. Instantly, the grey wolf shifted into a pale young man with ice-blue eyes, his hair completely obscuring one of them. "He will assess your arm and any other pains that you have."

Roxas clasped his coat tightly in both hands, looking very hesitant, but looked up when Kairi placed a hand on his shoulder. Axel snorted slightly. Was his own assurance not good enough?

"You'll feel better once he's looked at it," Kairi said. "And we'll stay here with you. We're friends now, right?"

The blonde gave her a small smile, and nodded.

"Okay."

Demyx transformed as well, and took the cold, wet, heavy coat when Roxas removed it. Beneath, he wore a shirt that was black around his torso, but had long grey sleeves for his arms. The shirt might have been thick and warm at some point, but if possible, it was even colder and wetter than the outer coat. Zexion didn't even look at the boy's arm before he spoke.

"Take everything off."

The boy's eyes bugged. "E-Excuse me?"

The healer narrowed his one visible eye in response.

"Now is not the time to be proud, boy. You are damp and cold all over, and those clothes are doing you no good anymore. If our kind can die of the cold, then yours is even more vulnerable to it."

"But I don't feel-"

"Exactly," Zexion cut in. "You're growing numb to it, aren't you?" When the human didn't respond, he snorted. "The cold will either make you sick or kill you outright. Neither option is desirable, but the former at least offers you a chance at survival."

The blonde looked down at his chest, blushing faintly again.

"E-Everything?"

"Everything." Zexion said firmly.

"We won't judge you!" Demyx chimed in helpfully. "We're not shy here, and hey, we've got all of the same bits that you do in this form!"

"Except for Kairi," Sora said with a chuckle, earning a violent shove from the girl.

Without waiting for his approval, Axel grabbed the hem of Roxas's shirt and began tugging it up and over his head.

"H-Hey!" The blonde tried to take his shirt back, but wasn't quick enough. When the redhead moved out of range, he whimpered and wrapped his arms around his chest, finally shivering again.

"Axel!" Kairi snapped, smacking him across the bicep. "That was mean!" He rolled his eyes, tossing the wet cloth aside.

"It was not. We can't afford to hesitate because of petty-"

"'Petty?!' It's not petty to be nervous in a new place with total strangers! Did you ever think of that?"

"And I thought you were all becoming such good friends," Axel mocked back. The younger redhead glared at him.

"That's not the point, Axel! You can't just go around ripping-!"

"Enough!" Zexion snapped, glowering at the siblings. "The two of you are giving me a headache!"

"Would it help if some of us left?" Riku asked immediately, looking at Roxas. "I don't entirely understand what you're worried about, but we shouldn't dawdle. Would having some of us leave make you more comfortable?"

Roxas looked around at each of them in turn, then shook his head. Axel took a moment to look down at his arms and torso and saw pale, almost blue skin.

"Are you trying to hide something?" Sora asked curiously. "Do you have a cool scar or something?"

The blonde shook his head again. "I'm just embarrassed...Sorry."

Kairi and Sora stepped up and hugged him, and Axel saw the boy jolt slightly, then relax into it.

"You guys are so warm," he murmured, his shock fading away as he cuddled back into them.

"Yep!" the brunette replied cheerfully. "Feels nice, right?"

"Mmmmhmmmm..."

With some more coaxing, the human shed the rest of his clothes. To help with the awkwardness, Kairi, Sora, and Riku transformed back into wolves and, despite his initial protests, curled themselves around him to make a sort of living blanket. Axel was the last to join them, creating a place for Roxas to rest his head while Zexion and Demyx cleaned his arm. The boy winced frequently, and fully recoiled once, but finally, the wound was clean and set on the path to healing.

"Don't strain it too much, or it may bleed again," The healer said simply, transforming back into a small, grey wolf. "If it does, one of you should try to clean it again and someone else should come find me. As for the cold, press close together. The body heat of several wolves is more than enough to reverse the frostbite. It is still in its infancy."

"W-What do I d-do in the morning?" Roxas asked, shuddering slightly when he shifted and felt a violent chill.

"We can find more furs for you," Kairi said, raising her auburn head and nuzzling under his chin. The blonde laughed shakily, and Axel rolled his eyes.

He supposed that it made sense, since human flesh was more vulnerable to the cold. But the human would stick out like a sore thumb in the pack, and he had been at least partially hoping that most would just close their eyes and pretend Roxas was one of them, choosing to stay long in human form.

'Too optimistic, it seems.'

Zexion and Demyx left, and the rest of the room settled down to sleep. As Axel curled himself tighter, he felt the odd sensation of being watched, and he looked down to find bright blue eyes staring up at him nervously.

"What?" he growled faintly.

"I-I...wanted to thank you again," he whispered, glancing around to make sure he hadn't woken anyone else. "I wasn't meaning to be ungrateful back there."

Axel nodded. "And I apologize for taking your shirt by force."

"It's alright. I was just being silly, and that's not worth dying over." The blonde rolled his head to the side slightly, and sighed. "Humans just aren't used to being naked in front of each other."

The red wolf snorted. "But you bathe, don't you?"

"Y-Yeah, but most people try to do it alone. And for kids, it's no big deal...I don't know."

"You don't know what?"

For a moment, there was only silence. The only sound was the very faint howl of the wind outside, and the dripping of tiny droplets of water on the cavern floor.

"It's nothing. Like he said, in human form, you all look like me anyway."

The wolf nodded again. "As long as you are alive, it does not matter."

Roxas looked back up at him, and he was startled to see so much warmth in those deep blue eyes.

"Thank you...I may not have meant to come here, but maybe this will be good, you know?" When Axel just blinked at him, he ducked his head and blushed yet again.

"I-I'll do my best to fit in and not burden you."


	5. Chapter 5

When morning came, the storm still hadn't broken, but it was slowly decreasing in intensity. He could tell because the wind wasn't nearly as loud now.

Axel blinked his eyes open, then yawned and stretched his neck slightly. He wanted to get up, but something was weighing him down slightly, and as a blonde, tousled head of hair shifted against his stomach, almost nuzzling his hip, he remembered the previous night.

Roxas was still half-buried in the wolf pile, but one of the discarded furs was wrapped around his upper body like a cocoon, obscuring all but his head from sight. The red wolf wondered when he had grabbed it. Their body heat should have been more than enough for him.

'No doubt it's more of that silly modesty of his,' he thought with a snort. The blonde had seemed like he was finally moving past that, at least a little bit.

But then again, humans and wolves shared one old adage: old habits die hard.

"Hmmmmmmm..."

Roxas was still burying his face in his hip, snuggling deeper into the warm, red fur. Axel couldn't see his face, but he could well imagine the unguarded expression upon it. His eyebrows would be even, perhaps pulled slightly up and inward; his cheeks and forehead felt smooth, utterly unconcerned with anything in the waking world. He was even more trusting in sleep.

Axel twitched his hip jerkily, and the little human raised his head, gazing around sleepily at the darkness of the cave.

"Huh? What?" He blinked more rapidly for a few seconds, then shut his eyes and yawned loudly into his hand. "Hwhut hime is it?"

"Morning," he replied curtly, wrinkling his nose when the boy's head snapped to him, eyes widening. "What?"

"...That's _right_." He reached out a hand and ran it along Sora's fur, earning a particular loud snore from the brown wolf. "You guys are werewolves..."

"As _you_ call us, yes." Axel rolled his eyes. "Has sleep fogged up your head _that much_? Can't you even remember last night?"

" _Of course_ I can," Roxas whispered back stubbornly. Then he looked down at himself and blushed slightly, seeing that the fur had slipped down a little. The blonde slowly pulled the cover up to his chin, swallowing thinly.

"Are my clothes dry, do you think?"

The red wolf sniffed the air, and then shook his head. "Damp and a bit moldy now."

"Then what will I-?"

Kairi yawned then, interrupting them abruptly. She raised her head up, unwittingly jostling Sora awake as well.

"Morning..." She blinked sleepily over at Roxas, who flinched back slightly on instinct. "Hi, Roxas."

"Sleep alright?" Sora asked, shaking his head slightly as he uncurled from the group and stretched forward on his front legs.

"H-Hi," he replied, slowly smiling at them both in turn. "I did. Thank you again, by the way."

"S'nothing," the brown wolf said cheerfully, rubbing his head against his leg to clear the crust from his eyes. He then grinned back at the silver wolf, who was still snoring nearby, and flicked him with his tail. "Time to get up, Riku! Up and at 'em!"

His friend responded by immediately snapping at him, teeth almost grazing the soft fur.

"RIKU!"

As the wolves each uncurled themselves, the human boy stood up and wrapped his covers fully around himself. His fist clenched the material in front, holding it in place as he watched the younger wolves bicker back and forth.

"Are you hungry?" Axel asked, drawing him out of his thoughts. Roxas nodded twice. "Then I'll go see what we have that is suitable."

"Didn't that one wolf say that I would eat last out of everyone?"

"True, but the hour is later than you think. We rise with the dawn. Most of the pack will be up and fed by now." Axel paused then, thinking for a moment. "Is there anything that you _can't_ eat?"

"Nothing that I know of...oh, but I think it has to be cooked!" the boy added quickly, making Axel groan in the doorway.

"You sure are delicate, aren't you?" he replied irritably, earning himself a frown from the blonde.

" _Sorry_ ," he said, his tone not particularly genuine. "Raw meat has parasites in it. I'll get sick."

"I didn't know that," Sora pipped in, turning away from his group and padding over to Roxas. "Our stomachs are tough. We can eat just about anything."

"And Sora _will_ eat anything." Riku said, chuckling as he shifted back into human form. " _Anything and everything_."

"OH, _YOU'RE_ ONE TO TALK!"

Shaking his head, Axel turned and left the inner cavern, muttering, " _Humans,"_ under his breath.

...

Entering the main cave, Axel once again noticed the multitude of stares following him across the room. A few wolves were whispering now; he could hear it because the general noise had dimmed like the wind, leaving only a few voices brave enough to break the silence.

" _He's_ keeping the human..."

"Where is it now? Shouldn't it be with him?"

Pretending not to notice, the red wolf shifted form halfway to Terra, putting aside all semblance of decorum.

"Ah, Axel. Good morning to you," the Alpha said calmly, his eyes betraying the slightest hint of irritation as a few of his council members growled. "You are late this morning."

"Morning," he replied, bowing slightly to appease them. "I wanted to ask to bring the human out here for a little bit. Is there somewhere unobtrusive that I could build a fire?"

The Alpha frowned. "Is he cold?"

"I don't think so, although if we can dig up some clothes for him, that would help." His pack didn't really _believe_ in them, but they kept some stocked away for special missions or occasions. And it would be a lot more practical than trying to fasten bits of furs together. "His food has to be cooked, or else he can't eat it."

"Nuisance," Flint muttered quietly to his left, and despite himself, _despite_ the fact that it couldn't be helped, the redhead agreed with him.

"Then do so. I will have someone search the stores for something suitable."

"I could bring him by, and _he_ can take a look," the younger wolf offered. "He would probably know best what to choose."

Terra nodded. "Very well. Will you go there first, or begin with the fire?"

"There first. He seems to be _very preoccupied_ with nudity." Axel shook his head at that. "Ridiculous, really."

"In our eyes, yes. Other humans would probably care just as much about their appearance. Especially in a new place with so many strangers."

'So many _fanged_ strangers,' the redhead's thoughts added helpfully.

"I suppose so..."

Xemnas cleared his throat briefly, drawing Terra's attention back to the group behind him.

"Right. Off you go then, Axel. We will call for you later. Right now, we have other matters to discuss."

"More important than that little _weakling_ ," Flint muttered again.

Axel barred his teeth at the wolf. "Care to repeat that?"

"It is naught but the truth," Sven replied, loud enough for them all to hear. "You have said as much _yourself_ , Omega."

'Yes,' he thought, 'But _I_ actually have to _deal_ with him.' Roxas was only a _true_ inconvenience to Axel, and only _half so much_ thanks to the council's relentlessness last night. Many were just trying to be nasty, shaming the boy for his continued existence here. But with Terra's decree, the human was pretty much stuck. There was nothing he could really do that was _right_ in their eyes.

If only for that, Axel felt a certain kinship with Roxas.

"Begone, Axel," Terra said sternly, willing the younger wolf to back down. "We will call for you later."

Snorting, the redhead gave a sarcastic wave and walked away, shrugging off the continued stares from the rest of the pack.

'They're going to make us both miserable for this.' And there wasn't much Terra could do about it, either. Axel saw it plainly; the Alpha wolf was trying to compensate for his sympathy for the little human. Too much leniency, and the council's thread-like tolerance was likely to snap.

'Curse them!'

"Axel! Hey, Axel! Wait up!"

Grimacing, the man turned to see Demyx jogging up to him in human form.

"What do you want, Demyx?" he asked, still making his way out of the large room.

"I just wanted to check and see how your human buddy was doing. I know Zexy said you could just call him and all, but uh..." He shrugged slightly, still grinning. "I dunno. I just wanted to ask anyway."

The redhead sighed. "He looked much better this morning. Not so pale or cold, anyway. He didn't complain about his arm, so I assume that's healing."

"You didn't _ask_ him?"

"What am I, his _servant_?" he snapped slightly, making the other man shrink back a step.

"W-Well, you _are_ looking after him, aren't you? Besides, it's just friendly to ask stuff like that."

"All of _this_ nonsense is bad enough. I'm only doing for him what would get him _killed_ on his own."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. You _know_ what everyone is gonna say."

Axel massaged a throbbing vein near the bridge of his nose. "Why don't you just come with me and ask him yourself?" 'As if you _weren't_ already.'

Demyx brightened again, at that. "Sure! Kid could probably use all the friendly faces he can get around here, right?"

"Probably." Although some of the pack might not like seeing him with Sora at the very least. He wasn't a pup anymore, but he was very well-liked and looked-after by just about everyone.

Axel frowned as he thought about that. It might put Kairi in a bad light too...or worse.

He highly doubted that anyone would try to separate him and his little sister, but then again, tempers and fears were high at the moment. The council could have anyone sequestered if they thought they were a danger to themselves or their families; they might try to bend the rule just to forcefully keep Sora, Kairi, and Riku away from the human.

Roxas may as well be a walking disease as far as any one adult wolf was concerned. Axel would have to tread carefully and keep him in line as much as possible, for all of their sakes.


	6. Chapter 6

"No."

"Kairi, it's not your choice to make."

The red-haired girl crossed her arms and looked up at her big brother stubbornly.

"You're right. It's _all of ours_ , and we say no."

"Yeah!" Sora chimed in behind her. "Who cares what the pack thinks? You know, they might even just relax a little bit, seeing _us_ so relaxed around him!"

"Not likely," Axel and Riku said at the same time, though the silver-haired boy wasn't actively supporting Axel's decisions either.

"Look, Kairi, I know why you want to do this, but I don't want you at odds with the pack."

"Why not? It's not like _you_ care."

" _Because,"_ her brother growled back, massaging the bridge of his nose in frustration, "this is more serious. This could be enough to push me out completely, if not _both of us_ , and more realistically, you and your friends here could end up separated. Do you _want_ that to happen?"

"We'll manage!" Sora replied, though he looked a bit unsettled by the thought. "Roxas is our friend too, and he hasn't got anybody else."

Axel crossed his arms in turn. "What if Terra orders you to stay away from him? Would you listen to _him?_ And will you accept the consequences, whether from him or somebody else? No matter what they are?"

"Sometimes you have to take a stand," Kairi replied, squaring her shoulders. "It's the right thing to do. He needs all of us there."

The older redhead rolled his eyes. " _Please._ I won't allow him to be hurt, if that's your concern." He looked at each of them dryly.

Kairi shook her head. "You're hopeless and heartless, you know that? It's not physical hurt that I'm worried about, Axel."

He squawked incredulously at that, but before the older boy could say more, Demyx and Roxas entered the little cavern.

The taller blonde smiled and made a strange mock-salute. "Business attended to, Captain! No incidents whatsoever!"

Beside him, Roxas blushed and slapped his arm.

"Did you _really_ have to put it that way?"

"Hey, 'round here, plenty of us just say, 'I'm going for a piss' or 'a shit.' I thought what I said was polite by comparison."

"It _was_." The human smacked his forehead lightly and then rubbed the spot, sighing and mumbling, "You didn't have to clarify."

"So, did everyone behave while we were gone?" Demyx asked, effortlessly shifting the subject without a hint of shame. His grin faltered slightly when Kairi and Axel both glared at him, unamused. "What? Don't tell me you guys found something _else_ to fight about?"

"Axel doesn't want us to be seen with Roxas too much because he's worried that the pack will pitch a fit," Sora replied.

"I see where he's coming from," Riku said then, looking at the human apologetically. "I want to support you, but at the same time, I'm not sure if we should underestimate our family's deep-seated hatred of humans. I couldn't live with it we were separated from each other indefinitely, or if Kairi and Axel were to be banished."

"Would they really do that?" Roxas looked very worriedly at Axel.

"Maybe...All I'm asking is that we downplay it a bit where everyone else can see you, and right now, that would mean them," he nodded in Kairi, Sora, and Riku's direction, "not accompanying us to get you food and clothes."

"That makes sense to me," Demyx agreed. "I'm not sure if the Council would do anything, but if enough people kick up a fuss, they'd have to intervene somehow. Knowing Terra, he'll hold firm for as long as he can, but..."

Roxas nodded. "I can't avoid being the center of attention here, but the least I can do is not drag people into the spotlight with me."

Sora blinked. "What's a spot light?"

The blonde waved it away impatiently. "Doesn't matter. Human thing. I get it though." He turned to Kaiti and smiled reassuringly. "I'm grateful to have you guys as friends, and whether you're next to me or not, I'll know you're there for me all the same."

The girl frowned, and Axel saw deep concern in her eyes. Sometimes, she reminded him of their mother; strong-willed and caring to a fault, but beautiful and great because of it.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded again, his gaze seeming to answer hers even as he spoke. "I'm sure Axel will be more than enough protection."

She nodded back. "Whatever anyone says or does, don't take it personally, okay?"

"I'll try." He blinked and blushed madly when the girl leaned forward, closing the space between them, and kissed him on the cheek. "Wha?!"

Sora went comically wide-eyed, and Demyx sniggered slightly behind his hand.

"Springtime _already_? You're growing up _fast_ , Kairi!"

"That's settled, so _let's go_." Axel forced down a wave of pure fury, grabbing the spluttering boy by the wrist and dragging him hurriedly away from the others. Kairi, now almost as red as her hair, looked like she was about to explode from mortification, but she still smiled slightly, unbeknownst to the departing boys.

"Don't get any ideas," Axel growled slightly as they walked. "Just because she looks human now-"

"I _wasn't!_ " the blonde insisted loudly, grunting a little as he was pulled and jostled. "You saw that! _She_ kissed _me!_ And will you slow down or let me go already?"

Begrudgingly, Axel did both.

They walked in sullen silence for a few minutes as they headed for the main cave, and Axel nodded slightly to every wolf they passed. Any group that they encountered automatically fell silent as well, and fearful and distrusting eyes followed every step that Roxas took.

As the redhead took more and more notice of this, he began to think about what Sora and Kairi meant with their earlier comments. It might be a bit too optimistic, but it was possible that seeing a group of wolves interacting with the boy normally might convince some of the pack that Roxas wasn't evil or dangerous. Not all of them, of course, but it could sway some.

But _then again,_ his little sister and her friends could just as easily be written off as pups, far too naive and fair-minded for their own good. Wolves could be very stubborn, especially regarding their rules and traditions.

Eyes casting to the side, Axel saw that Roxas no longer flinched and pressed closer when wolves growled or got close to them. His posture was very stiff, however. Perhaps he would bolt if he felt threatened enough.

Perhaps he wished that he'd taken his friends up on their offer after all.

The older boy snorted at that thought. He made a mental note to keep a particularly close eye on the human anytime he spent too much time with Kairi.

Roxas's face was carefully blank for the most part, but even if he couldn't smell the fear in him, Axel could easily see the wrinkles and points of tension.

After they passed one group of almost angry-looking wolves, they paused right before the cave entrance. There was a loud din coming from inside, and the redhead picked out a lot more of it than he would have liked.

"You knew that it was going to be like this," Axel said simply.

The blonde nodded, looking out at the gathered wolves nervously. "Yeah. Doesn't mean I'm not still scared. I know pretty much all of them don't like me, but will they...?" He trailed off slightly.

"I don't think that anyone would attack you unprovoked. The Alpha, Terra, has made his decision clear to everyone, so there would be a punishment."

"But what if I make a mistake?" Roxas asked, looking back at him worriedly. "What if I accidentally offend somebody? Could they...I don't know, cry insult or something?"

The redhead blinked, then frowned in understanding, shaking his head.

"Terra would only be lenient on them if you had been intent on harming someone and they stopped you. I admit that I don't know what any one wolf will do, but I will be vigilant and protect you as best I can."

The younger boy smiled slowly, but gratefully. "Thank you. I can't help but worry. I wish it didn't have to be like this."

"It is what it is. You're right to be careful." Axel wanted to say that he shouldn't worry too much, but was there really such a thing in this case?

He also didn't want to seem like he cared _too_ much. The two of them were just too different, and if all went smoothly, the boy would leave soon enough. There wasn't any point in getting too friendly.

Awkwardly patting Roxas on the arm, Axel led him in.

Like a bolt of lightning, everything was quiet in an instant. A few mothers and fathers pushed their pups behind them, but they couldn't stop the youngsters from peering out from under their legs. A few wolves picked up their weanlings by the scruff of the neck, watching the passing duo warily. If someone dropped a tiny twig on the ground in the cave at that moment, the impact could have been heard as clearly as if it had been a whole tree.

'They knew we were coming, so why do some of them look so surprised?'

From his seat in the council, Terra looked in their direction and nodded. Roxas raised his hand and timidly waved, making the Alpha let loose a short bark of laughter. He then encouraged everyone to return to their business, setting an example when he immediately resumed his council's discussion right after.

Most wolves still watched Roxas intently, but the noise in the room began to pick up again. Pups who had been set back down stared unabashedly, almost awed, at the newcomer, bombarding the older wolves with questions about who and what he was.

The blonde must have overheard some of it, Axel thought, because he smiled a little every now and again as they walked.

"This is where we keep the clothes we've collected," the redhead said as they came upon another small tunnel in the wall. "I don't think that there will be much, if anything, that's your size..."

The human shrugged. "I'll roll the sleeves up if I need to. Anything is better than trying to work in a blanket."

"You won't be made to work today." Roxas blinked at that, looking up at him with confusion. "The blizzard is probably going to continue throughout the day today. There isn't much for _any_ of us to do."

"Oh...okay. That makes sense." Reaching a large pile of scattered clothes, the blonde immediately began sifting through them, one hand still holding the fur closed. "I probably shouldn't strain my arm too much anyway."

Axel nodded, watching him idly for a few minutes. When Roxas had tossed aside over a dozen things, the redhead sighed and went to the other side, picking through that half of the mess.

"You don't have to help, you know."

He snorted. "You'll be all day at this rate."

Roxas looked away from the shirt he was examining. "Why does that matter when we aren't doing anything today?"

"That doesn't mean I want to spend all my time here. I'm hungry, and I'm surprised if you aren't." The older boy held up a shirt he'd found. "Will this work?"

Roxas looked over again, then blushed and looked exasperated. "That's a woman's shirt!"

"So?" Axel asked, verging on indignant. "It looks like it would fit you. What does it matter?"

"Can't you see where the breasts are supposed to go? Do I look like the type who needs extra room like that?"

The redhead snorted. "I'd think the more you have to cover you, the better."

"What?...Oh, you mean the cold!" Roxas laughed slightly, shaking his head. "Maybe, but let's see what else we can find. Just set it aside for now."

Axel groaned. "No one here will care what you wear. You're wasting time looking for more."

"Well then, why don't _you_ go get some breakfast for the two of us? I can handle this myself."

"I can't. I either have to stay with you at all times, or get someone like Demyx to babysit for me."

Roxas scoffed at that, but appeared to let it go, returning his attention to his searching hand.

"Could _he_ help us then? We'd get stuff done faster."

"We'd get things done faster if _you_ didn't insist on scouring the entire collection," the redhead countered lightly, then sighed. "Do you even know what you're looking for?"

"I have an idea."

Axel rolled his eyes. "Can you tell me then, so _I_ can look for it as well?"

"Maybe if you don't snip at me," Roxas replied, setting aside a pair of dark pants without looking up. "Soft and warm are the most important things. And I'm gathering up a few pairs so that I can have a change of clothes for a few days. I'm not 'looking for the perfect outfit.'" He gestured with two fingers on his free hand, rolling his eyes and smiling briefly.

The older boy blinked at that. "What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm? Oh, just one of the girls at the orphanage where I lived." The blonde shook his head at the dress he'd unwittingly lifted up for inspection.

"What's an orphanage?"

"When parents die or don't want their kids for whatever reason, that's where the kids end up. Sometimes they have other family who can take them in, but not always. New families come too, and they'll adopt kids sometimes." When he saw Axel's look, he fumbled for a moment. "See, I guess it's like this: these clothes used to belong to someone, right? Now I come along and I want some clothes, so I can pick any of these and take them with me. Adopting a kid is kind of similar."

"I see." Axel thought about it for a moment as he searched. Then something clicked. "So did your parents die? Or did they simply give you up to this place?"

"Half and half," he replied, shrugging slightly. "My mom died when she gave birth to me. A little before that, I think my dad ran off on her."

"Did the people at this...orphanage," Axel hesitated slightly on the word, not sure if he had heard it right, "mistreat you?"

"Oh no! Not at all!" the boy said easily. "Miss Aerith, the Director, is very nice, and she's very thorough and picky about her staff. Wouldn't tolerate anyone picking on the kids."

"So why did you run away?" the redhead asked, failing to remain or at least pretend to be the least bit casual about it. He'd forgotten that humans often lived so differently compared to wolf kind.

Roxas looked down with a slightly self-deprecating smile.

"It was a good home, and certainly no one abused me. I just...I don't know." He squeezed a piece of cloth absently in his hand as paused, trying to find the words. "I've been there for so long. It would have been another couple of years before they turned me loose, assuming no one adopted me, but I just wanted to get out. I wanted to go somewhere new, work my way up to actually being somebody. I know there is so much more in the world than just Hollow Bastian, but I haven't seen any of it. I was sick of sitting around, doing nothing and going nowhere."

"But surely you had friends there?"

"I did, and I love Miss Aerith like she's my real mother. But I know things were getting tight there. Do you know what money is?" The redhead nodded. Humans used such tokens in exchange for things like food and clothing and such, buying them from specialized humans who made them. "Money kept the orphanage open; money from rich donors that lived in town. Because they pay so much, they get a say in how Miss Aerith runs things, and if she doesn't let them, they don't donate as much or at all. They must be mad at her, because there's been less to eat for a while now.

 _That's_ kind of why I decided to go ahead and do this now. Now she has one less person to pay for. I got as far out of town as I could just so that someone wouldn't catch me and drag me back there."

'Strange,' Axel thought. "So where were you going?"

Roxas shrugged again. "Not sure. I had no destination in mind. As long as it's not Hollow Bastian, I'd be happy."

"It seems stupid to leave a perfectly nice place with proven food, shelter, and security in order to go seek an unknown future. Especially being so unprepared."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." The younger boy groaned and blushed slightly. "I'm not saying it was the smartest plan or anything. But you wouldn't understand anyway."

The redhead frowned, but didn't comment further. He knew the desire to travel and strike it out alone all too well, but it was out of the question for so many reasons.

And maybe, because of that, he envied Roxas. If only a little bit.


	7. Chapter 7

Axel wrinkled his nose slightly at the smell of charred meat, and he narrowed his eyes for the hundredth time as his guest took a bite of the rabbit haunch and sighed blissfully.

"You burnt it to a crisp," he said disapprovingly. The blonde looked at him, confused.

"No I haven't. It's medium at best." He took another bite and hummed, while the older boy puzzled out what that was supposed to mean. "It is a bit plain though. Could use salt, and maybe some spices."

Distracting himself from the sacrilege, Axel focused his attention to a crack on the floor. A tiny spider was hurriedly making its slow way across the cave, no doubt concerned by the sight and smell of the fire.

"Were you a…what's the word your people use? A cook?"

Roxas shrugged. "Not really. I did help out in the kitchen sometimes. We all did."

As they had finished up picking out clothes for the human, he shared a bit more about his life in the orphanage. To Axel, it sounded very much like a pack, albeit consisting of mostly younger members and a smaller council. Outsiders to the group would sign on to work with and care for the children in exchange for money, but when there were few of them, the older children would be asked to help in their place. They lived in one building, never moving, and tasks of upkeep were given to every child above a certain age to complete, sometimes on a daily basis.

This woman, Aerith, was the Alpha, according to Roxas. She had studied to be a medic in her youth, but now watched over the children of the orphanage, acting as both a mother and father to them. She was kind, but did not shy away from discipline when it was needed. Roxas told him a story about an older boy named Seifer, who teased and tormented the younger children when he thought no one was looking. He threatened them to keep them from going to Aerith, but her keen eyes soon saw his misbehaving, and then she was quick to put the older boy in his place.

 _"She grabbed him by the ear!" the blonde had recalled, laughing. "I'd never seen her do_ that _before. She really gave him what for."_

Axel grabbed a long, thing branch and poked at the fire they had built, watching the flames crackle as he shifted the logs. The play of flickering colors was almost mesmerizing, and the heat seemed to heighten the smell of the wood. This opening to the cave was on a different side of the mountain, still guarded but less populated by the pack, and it was ideal for allowing the smoke from the fire to escape. The wind outside howled slightly, as the storm was still working its way through, but the fire, now finished with its primary purpose, served to keep the human warm enough to withstand the chill while he ate. They sat as far from the mouth as they dared.

"Will you be needing anything more?" Axel finally ventured. Roxas looked up at him with a blink.

"I don't think so. Not for several hours, anyway." He took another bite. "Thank you again. For catching this."

"It was nothing. You should save your thanks so that they don't wear out." While gratitude was always nice, this boy seemed to offer it too freely, and always for the most minor things. And it's not like Axel could get away with not doing them. The Alpha has ordered it, and in that case, was he really worth that thanks?

"They won't," Roxas replied, frowning slightly. "If it makes you uncomfortable, I'll try to say it less often."

The redhead rolled his eyes, turning away as he noticed movement outside. A rabbit, much like the one he had caught earlier, had bounded from a snowy bush, sending a brief spray of powder into the air. It looked young, and Axel was momentarily tempted to give chase.

"Whatever. Do what you will."

"I will, Mr. Sourpuss."

The older boy whipped back around, his face incredulous. "What did you just call me?"

"A sourpuss. It means 'bad-tempered.'" Axel rose to his feet, growling slightly, but for once, the blonde didn't flinch. "Chill out. I get you wanting to protect your sister and her friends, or wanting to look strong in front of your family, but it's just the two of us here now. What's with the attitude?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Look," the boy replied, "I'm not trying to be ungrateful. Far from it. I just feel weird. I'm telling you all of this stuff about my life, and here you are, acting cold and distant and gruff all of the time."

The redhead crossed his arms. "It's not my job to make you feel welcome here. I'm here to watch you, keep you alive, and send you on your way. _That's it_."

"And let me guess how many friends you have," the young boy replied with weary sarcasm. Axel growled warningly again, this time louder.

"Watch it, brat."

Roxas just scoffed a laugh. "Touched a nerve there? Well I'm sorry, but if you're going to be stuck with me for all of this time anyway, why not let it pass pleasantly? Is it really such a strain for you? You were doing fine when you were asking questions."

Even in his rising anger, that gave Axel pause. Why _did_ he care so much about the human's life? Was he just bored? But no...at times, it felt like genuine interest. Just like his desire to save the boy from the Council's wrath. He had even put himself and Kairi on the line a bit in order to defend him, and as much as he disliked Terra's snide priest, the usual dislike was not enough to explain his actions.

Looking at the young human again, he wondered if it was the novelty of the situation; the newness of it all. He generally disliked humans, as did most everyone else, but unlike some, he had never done any missions walking among their kind. Roxas was a window into another world; one he had often reviled purely out of conditioning, but now that he could hear more about it, he found even the smallest details fascinating. How alike and unalike their two kinds were.

Or was it the boy himself? Oddly accepting of his own weakness, and yet he possessed an odd sort of kind of strength as well. What he lacked in body he seemed to make up for in wisdom, despite being young and cast, defenseless, into a den of enemies. Even his words just now seem to cut deeper than they should have.

'Friends? Who needs those?' he thought bitterly. 'They will only slow you down in the-'

"Axel?"

Blinking away his thoughts, the redhead found himself being examined by the other boy. Roxas was closer now, staring intently at his face and looking slightly worried.

"Are you okay? You went pretty quiet there..."

He shook his head and pulled back, huffing. "Heh. You're lucky I didn't bite you for those asinine words."

"You'd bite me just for _that_?" he asked, sitting back slightly and sounding strangely disheartened. "Maybe I was wrong to trust you after all. You're just like that one guy..." He clutched his injured arm and shuddered.

Confused by his change in demeanor, Axel felt compelled to reassure him. Was it...had he taken that seriously? As a threat?

He leaned closer to Roxas again and grasped his hand, ignoring the slight flinch as he did so.

"I am nothing like Xigbar. He drew blood just for the fun of it, to see you cry. I may joke, but I would never do such a thing. I only hunt to eat. That's supposed to be the law."

"Yeah, well, it was a bad joke to tell someone who's worried about getting mauled to death," the blonde replied flatly, pouting slightly.

Nodding to himself, Axel sighed. The boy needed him, much like a pup needs its mother. He supposed it was only natural that some trust would be involved, however strange and ill-advised he thought it was.

The redhead was often truthful to the point of bluntness, but it wasn't as though Roxas didn't know how things were here. He knew, and having the older boy constantly remind him of what he knew wasn't helping anything. All the blonde was asking was for some civility between the two of them. He need not be as friendly as Kairi, but he could still be a bit more warm towards the human.

Plus, he would surely learn more about the human world this way.

"I'm sorry. And as you say, this time we must spend together need not be spent bickering. At least when it's just the two of us, I will try to be more...more...?" He stumbled to find the correct word.

"Like an actual host?" the boy asked, raising an eyebrow as he faced him again.

"Perhaps. What is that?"

Roxas rolled his eyes and smiled slightly. "A host is a person who invites you into their home. They treat you nicely, at least until you leave."

Axel frowned. "What was I treating you as before?"

"A pest. And that's my whole point. I apologize and thank you because I know I'm kind of a burden right now. Just don't make me feel worse about it, okay?" At the end of this, he winked. "I'll do my best to follow the rules and be useful. Just don't be a prick."


End file.
